Car heater



March 22, 1966 M. w. DAWLEY ET AL 3,241,764

GAR HEATER Filed June 10, 1964 INVENTORJ- United States Patent Ofiice3,241,764 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 3,241,764 (CAR HEATER Morgan W. Dawley,Rochester, and Raymond S. Heym,

Lathrup Village, Mich, assignors to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park,Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed June It 1964, Ser. No. 373,915 7Claims. (Cl. 237-123 This invention relates to improvements in a heatingsystem for the passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle and hasfor an important object the provision of improvements in such a heatingsystem for use with a gas turbine engine powered vehicle.

In a typical gas turbine engine, cool fresh combustion supporting inletair is discharged at high pressure from a primary compressor andconducted through a portion of a rotary regenerator to be heatedthereby. The heated air is admixed with fuel and burned, the gaseouscombustion product being then directed against the turbine rotors todrive the same, the hot exhaust gases being then directed throughanother portion of the regenerator to heat the same. The regeneratorcomprises a high efficiency heat exchanger. Its heated portions arecontinuously rotated to receive the combustion supporting inlet air toheat the latter and these portions that have been cooled by heating theinlet combustion supporting air are continuously rotated to receive thehot exhaust gases to be re-heated thereby.

A concept of the present invention is to pass clean fresh air through aheated portion of the regenerator and then to discharge this airdirectly into the passenger compartment to heat the same, thereby toutilize the regenerator most efficiently for space heating purposes.

A limited amount of the hot gaseous combustion products utilized to heatthe regenerator will be carried by rotation of the regenerator to theregion which preheats the high pressure inlet combustion supporting airsupplied by the primary compressor. It is accordingly another object ofthe invention to pass the clean air to be used for heating through aportion of the regenerator from which the combustion products have beenthoroughly scavenged by the clean high pressure combustion supportinginlet air. Thus the heated heating air can be breathed safely by thepassengers and utilized most effectively for space heating.

Preferably the heating air will be supplied by a comparatively lowpressure auxiliary compressor or blower to avoid undue loading of theprimary high pressure compressor. In accordance with other objects ofthe invention, however, the air used for heating may be supplieddirectly by the primary compressor and the heated air discharged fromthe regenerator may be utilized either directly by being discharged intothe vehicle passenger compartment, or indirectly by being passed througha secondary heat exchanger which in turn will heat clean fresh air froma suitable source, then discharge that air into the passengercompartment.

Another object is to provide improved means cooperable with the gasturbine engine regenerator and an auxiliary blower for clean freshheating air to regulate the amount of heat added to the heating air bythe regenerator.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary schematic view of a gas turbine engine takenthrough the mid-region of the regenerator.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the regenerator and upper seal takenin the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view of the heating circuit, the section throughthe regenerator being taken in the direction of the arrows substantiallyalong the broken line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a modification.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated by way of example in a heating system for thepassenger compartment of an automobile vehicle powered by a gas turbineengine indicated generally by the numeral 9. The engine 9 includes aprimary pressure compressor 10 which receives cool fresh clean inlet airaxially and discharges this air radially under pressure through a spiraldiffuser 12 which in turn discharges into an inlet header or dome 13overlying one sector of a rotary disc type counter flow regenerator 14.The regenerator 14 is mounted within the engine 9 to rotate coaxiallyabout a central axle 21 and comprises a multitude of axially extendinggas flow passages adapted for flow of gases therethrough. Suitable sealsindicated generally by the numeral 15 cooperate with the regenerator 14and balfies, as for example the baffles 17, 18 and 19 carried by thehousing of the engine 9 to direct the air from the header 13 axiallydownward through a sector 14a of the regenerator into a high temperaturechamber 16.

From the chamber 16, the heated inlet air is conducted to a conventionalcombustion chamber where fuel is added and burned. Thereafter the hotcombustion products are directed through the gas turbine rotors to drivethe same and are thence discharged to an exhaust header 16b immediatelyunderlying sector 14b of the regenerator 14. The hot exhaust combustionproducts are then directed axially upward through the matrix of theregenerator 14 at the sector 14b into an exhaust passage 20 from whichthe combustion products are exhausted to the atmosphere. One of the gasturbine rotors is operably coupled with the compressor shaft 11 torotate the same and operate the compressor 10, the shaft 11 being alsooperably connected as indicated by the dotted line with a ring gear 11asecured coaxially to the regenerator 14 to rotate the latter at greatlyreduced speed in accordance with rotation of the compressor 10.

In passing upwardly at the region of sector 14b, the heat of the exhaustgases is given up to the regenerator matrix to heat the latter, wherebyupon rotation of the regenerator about its axle 21, the heated portionsof the sector 14!) are continuously rotated to the region of the sector14a to preheat the high pressure inlet air flowing downwardly fromheader 13 into chamber 16.

The seals 15 may be considered part of the regenerator system. They arearranged above and below the regenerator 14 at its axially oppositesides and in the present instance are illustrated as being identical toeach other. Each seal comprises a circumferential portion 15a, extendingaround the periphery of the regenerator 14, a diametric portion 15b, anda radial portion 15c, all cooperating to partition the regenerator intothe aforesaid sectors 14a and 14b and an intermediate sector located inadvance of the sector 14b (with respect to the direction of rotation)and between the latter sector and sector 14a. Thus, residual combustionproducts carried over into the sector 14a from the sector 14b will bethoroughly scavenged from the regenerator matrix as the latter rotatesinto the sector 14c.

In a preferred construction, a supplementary heater blower 22 mounted asfor example on the interior or passenger side of the firewall 24, FIGURE3, receives cool fresh inlet air, as for example via the cowl inlet 22a.The air from blower 22 is discharged via conduit 23 to the sector 140 atthe upper side of the regenerator 14 so as to be heated by passagethrough sector 140. The heated air from conduit 23 is conducted from thelower side of sector 140 via conduit 25 back into the interior of thepassager compartment where it is discharged through suitable vents 26and used for heating purposes.

In order to control the heat from the regenerator 14, a bypass conduit27 connects conduit 23 at a location upstream of the regenerator 14 withconduit 25 at a location downstream of the regenerator. A regulatorvalve 28 is arranged in conduit 25 so as to progressively close thelatter and simultaneously open bypass 27 into conduit 25 at a locationdownstream of valve 28 upon counterclockwise swinging of the valve 28,and conversely to progressively close bypass 27 and open conduit 25between the regenerator and vent 26 upon clockwise swinging of valve 28.Thus the resistance to gas flow through bypass 27 will tend to increasethe pressure at the regenerator sector 14c and minimize undesiredleakage of combustion products from sector 14b into sector 14c acrossseal 15b.

In operation of the structure described, while the engine is running,the regenerator 14 will be gradually rotated clockwise in the directionof the arrows, FIG- URE 2, and heated exhaust gases will pass upwardlythrough sector 14b to heat the regenerator. The heated portions of theregenerator are rotated from sector 14b to sector 14a Where thedownwardly flowing fresh inlet air from compressor will tend to cool theregenerator 14 while heating the inlet air. At the same time, the cleaninlet air flowing through sector 14a will completely blow out anygaseous combustion products carried over from sector 14b. The aforesaidinlet air from compressor 10, though cool in comparison to thetemperature of the regenerator sector 14a, by virtue of having beenhighly compressed will be hot in comparison to the temperature of theheating air in either conduit 23 or 25.

Although the regenerator will be somewhat cooled in passing throughsector 14a, it will still contain considerable heat as it moves intosector 14c. In the latter sector, clean, cool heating air from blower 22will be passed downwardly through the sector 140 to be heated. Theheated air is then conducted into the passenger compartment via conduit25 to vent system 26. The amount of air passed through the regeneratorsector 140 is controlled by swinging valve 28 clockwise orcounterclockwise in FIGURE 3 to progressively close or open bypass 27 tovent 26 and correspondingly to open or close the connection via conduit25 between the regenerator sector 14c and the vent systems 26.

The typical heater blower 22 will discharge air at a comparatively highvolume and low pressure as compared to the compressor 10, whichdischarges at high pressure and at a volume comparable to the volume ofair discharged from blower 22, especially for comparatively small gasturbine engines. Inasmuch as the volume of air required for heating theinterior of the passenger compartment can be significant in comparisonto the volume of air discharged by compressor 10 for supportingcombustion, the use of a supplemental blower 22 is usually preferred.

Because of the comparatively low pressure of the air discharged fromblower 22, the pressure of the heating air in conduit 25 immediatelydownstream of the regenerator 14 will in some instances be lower thanthe pressure in header 16b upstream of the regenerator 14 at the region14b. In such a situation there is a tendency for leakage of combustionproducts across seal 15b into the fresh air sector 14c. In order topositively avoid such leakage, a supplementary seal 15d illustrated inFIG- URE 4 extends from seal 150 in parallelism with seal 15b to theperipheral sealing portion 15a. The seal 15:] is spaced sufiicientlyfrom seal 15b to provide a narrow sector 14a in communication with thehigh pressure inlet air of header 13. Accordingly the discharge fromcompressor 10 will flow downwardly in sectors 14a and 14a into chamber16. The high pressure air in sector 14a will positively prevent leakagefrom the low pressure sector 14b. In fact, all leakage from sector willbe into sectors 14b and 140. A slight leakage across seals 15c and intosector 14c is not objectionable because the clean fresh inlet air inheader 13 is safe to breathe.

The sector 14a will preferably be as narrow as practicable withoutinterfering with its function of providing a high pressure barrierbetween sectors 14b and 14c. Thus the sector 14c Will be located nearthe coolest (approximately 500 F.) portion of the regenerator 14 andwill be a minimum deterrent to the efficiency of the regenerator 1 inpreheating the combustion supporting air for the engine. In other words,the most efficient high temperature regenerator sector 14a(approximately 1200 F. adjacent the clockwise edge of sector 14b) isemployed for preheating the higher temperature and high pressure inletair (approximately 500 F. and 45 p.s.i.) discharged from compressor 10into chamber 13, whereas the cooler and less eflicient regeneratorsector 140 is employed for heating the much cooler and low pressureheating air discharged from blower 22.

I claim:

1. In combination, a vehicle body, a gas turbine engine for propellingsaid vehicle, said engine including regenerator means having a rotarymatrix adapted by rotation to successively index the portions of saidmatrix at first, second, and third fixed regions, said regeneratormatrix being adapted to receive comparatively hot gaseous combustionproducts of said engine for passage through the portion of said matrixat said first region to heat the latter portion and being also adaptedto receive comparatively cool inlet air for passage through the portionof said matrix at said second region to heat said inlet air, and aheating system for said body comprising means for conducting heating airthrough the portion of said matrix at said third region to heat saidheating air and for conducting the heated heating air from said thirdregion to said body to heat the same, said third region being located toreceive portions of said matrix after the same have rotated through saidsecond region sufficiently to scavenge combustion products therefromresidual from said first region.

2. In combination, a vehicle body, a gas turbine engine for propellingsaid vehicle, said engine including regenerator means having a rotarymatrix adapted by rotation to successively index the portions of saidmatrix at first, second, and third fixed regions, said regeneratormatrix being adapted to receive comparatively hot gaseous combustionproducts of said engine for passage through the portion of said matrixat said first region to heat the latter portion and being also adaptedto receive comparatively cool inlet air for passage through the portionof said matrix at said second region to heat said inlet air, and aheating system for said body comprising means for conducting heating airthrough the portion of said matrix at said third region to heat saidheating air and for utilizing the heat of the heated air from said thirdregion to heat said body, said third region being located between saidfirst and second regions and in advance of said first region withrespect to the direction of rotation of said regenerator.

3. In combination, a vehicle body, a gas turbine engine for propellingsaid body, said engine including regenerator means having a rotarymatrix adapted by rotation to successively index the portions of saidmatrix at first, second, and third fixed regions, means for conductingcomparatively h'ot gaseous combustion products of said engine to theportion of said matrix at said first region for passage through thelatter portion to heat the same, means for conducting comparatively coolinlet air to the portions of said matrix at said second and thirdregions for passage therethrough to heat inlet air and a heating systemfor said body comprising means for conducting the heated inlet air fromsaid third region and utilizing the heat thereof for heating said body,said third region being located between said first and second regions inadvance of said first region with respect to the direction of rotationof said matrix to receive portions thereof from which gaseous combustionproducts have been scavenged while rotating through said second region.

4. In combination, a vehicle body, a gas turbine engine for propellingsaid body, said engine including regenerator means having a rotarymatrix adapted by rotation to successively index the portions of saidmatrix at first, second, and third fixed regions, means for conductingcomparatively hot gaseous combustion products of said engine to theportion of said matrix at said first region for passage through thelatter portion to heat the same, means for conducting comparatively coolfresh combustion supporting inlet air to the portion of said matrix atsaid second region for passage therethrough to heat said inlet air, anair compressor for supplying pressurized heating air, means forconducting said pressurized heating air to the portion of said matrix atsaid third region for passage therethrough to heat the latter air, andmeans for conducting the heated heating air from the portions of saidmatrix at said third region to said body to heat the same, said thirdregion being located in advance of said first region With respect to thedirection of rotation of said matrix and between said first and secondregions to receive portions of said matrix from which gaseous combustionproducts have been scavenged by said combustion supporting air passingtherethrough at said second region.

5. In the combination according to claim 4, said means for conductingsaid pressurized heating air to and from portions of said matrix at saidthird region including high pressure conduit means extending from saidcompressor to said matrix at said third region and including lowpressure conduit means extending from said matrix at said third regionto the interior of said body, bypass means for connecting said highpressure conduit means at a location upstream of said matrix with saidlow pressure conduit means at a location downstream of said matrix, anddiverter valve means operative to progressively close or open said lowpressure conduit means at a location between said bypass means and saidmatrix and simultaneously to progressively open or close said bypassmeans.

6. In a heating system for a vehicle body propelled by an internalcombustion engine, regenerator means for preheating combustionsupporting air for said engine, high pressure conduit means forconducting heating air to said regenerator means for passagetherethrough to heat said air, low pressure conduit means for conductingthe heated heating air from said regenerator means, means incommunication with said low pressure conduit means for utilizing theheat of said heated air for heating said body, bypass means forconnecting said high pressure conduit means at a location upstream ofsaid regenerator means with said low pressure conduit means at alocation downstream of said regenerator means, and diverter valve meansoperative to progressively close or open said low pressure conduit meansat a location between said regenerator means and bypass means andsimultaneously to progressively open or close said bypass means.

7. In combination, a vehicle body, a gas turbine engine for propellingsaid vehicle, said engine including regenerator means having a rotarymatrix adapted by rotation to successively index the portions of saidmatrix by first, second, and third fixed regions, said regeneratormatrix being adapted to receive comparatively hot gaseous combustionproducts of said engine for passage through the portion of said matrixat said first region to heat the latter portion and being also adaptedto receive comparatively cool inlet air for passage through the portionof said matrix at said second region to heat said inlet air, and aheating system for said body comprising means for conducting heating airthrough the portion of said matrix at said third region to heat saidheating air and for utilizing the heat of the heated air from said thirdregion to heat said body, said third region being located adjacent andin advance of said first region with respect to the direction ofrotation of said regenerator and being spaced from said first region byportions of said second region both in advance of and behind said thirdregion With respect to said direction of rotation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD J.MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION, A VEHICLE BODY, A GAS TURBINE ENGINE FOR PROPELLINGSAID VEHICLE, SAID ENGINE INCLUDING REGENERATOR MEANS HAVING A ROTARYMATRIX ADAPTED BY ROTATION TO SUCCESSIVELY INDEX THE PORTIONS OF SAIDMATRIX AT FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD FIXED REGIONS, SAID REGENERATORMATRIX BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE COMPARATIVELY HOT GASEOUS COMBUSTIONPRODUCTS OF SAID ENGINE FOR PASSAGE THROUGH THE PORTION OF SAID MATRIXAT SAID FIRST REGION TO HEAT THE LATTER PORTION AND BEING ALSO ADAPTEDTO RECEIVE COMPARATIVELY COOL INLET AIR FOR PASSAGE THROUGH THE PORTIONOF SAID MATRIX AT SAID SECOND REGION TO HEAT